Safari Park

SAN DIEGO -- A baby gorilla that was born last week at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in a rare caesarean-section and then underwent emergency surgery for a collapsed lung is battling a new problem: pneumonia. The gorilla is being watched and cared for around-the-clock in the ICU unit at the park hospital. "It's not really clear if it [pneumonia] occurred just prior to birth or immediately following birth, but it's definitely pneumonia and a lot of the conditions that we've been managing since then are all related to pneumonia," said Nadine Lamberski, veterinarian and associate director of veterinary services at the park.

SAN DIEGO -- More improvement was reported Tuesday from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in the saga of gorilla Imani and her 13-day-old baby. Both have had their medical challenges. Imani needed a Caesarian-section to deliver. Her baby underwent surgery for a collapsed lung and then treatment for pneumonia. On Monday, the pair were in contact for the first time. And on Tuesday, they walked into their outdoor exhibit with other gorillas -- an adult male, three adult females, and two young males -- watching from a distance.

The Molokai Ranch safari park--long a leading tourist attraction on Molokai--has closed. The 300-acre Molokai Ranch Wildlife Conservation Park, which opened in 1972, was shut down when the park's license to publicly exhibit animals expired in August. The current ranch owners believe the park was not "appropriate to Molokai's heritage or culture," according to a spokesman. Until its closure, the park contained 100 African and Asian animals.

SAN DIEGO -- For the first time, a gorilla named Imani was allowed Monday to embrace her 12-day-old baby at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The as-yet-unnamed baby underwent surgery for a collapsed lung soon after birth and then was treated for pneumonia -- all at the park hospital. The mother, who is 18, which is old for a first-time gorilla mother, has been recovering from a Caesarean section. Imani sniffed the baby, picked her up and then carried her and cradled her in the gorillas' "bedroom area," zookeepers said.

It's good to be a kid this month at the San Diego Zoo and the zoo's Safari Park. Children skip the $32 entrance fee at both venues and can take advantage of free activities inside, such as mingling with zoo characters, feeding a giraffe or taking in a Camp Critters Show. The deal: The zoo has been offering Kids Free in October for more than 25 years, for children 11 and younger. No need to show a ticket (usually $32), and there's no limit on the number of children you can bring, though they must be accompanied by an adult ($42)

San Diego Zoo animal keepers are searching for a rare painted stork that flew away from the zoo's Safari Park on Monday. The year-old bird, from a species native to Asia, was out flying Monday and instead of returning, it flew away, maybe carried away by a thermal wind, officials said. The bird is full grown but still inexperienced at flying. The stork was in training to be part of a free flight bird program at the park. Birders and wildlife officials have been alerted to be on the lookout.

A "liger," a cross between a lion and a tiger, dragged a keeper into its cage at a safari park and killed him, authorities said. Everett Cremeans, 45, had removed a bar that held the cage gate in place and was using it to prod the animal when he was mauled Tuesday.

For the record: Yes, that was Newt Gingrich at the San Diego Zoo on Tuesday for a 90-minute behind-the-scenes tour. Gingrich was in the area raising money for his bid for the Republican presidential nomination but found time to visit the zoo, including feeding a young panda, looking at elephants, polar bears and tigers, and posing for pictures with zoo staffers. Gingrich has made other visits to the zoo and Safari Park, including a sleepover at the park's Snore and Roar program.

The seemingly endless stream of bad weather forced several Southern California theme parks to close Wednesday and others to restrict hours or limit access to certain areas. SeaWorld San Diego , Legoland California and Six Flags Magic Mountain were closed Wednesday due to inclement weather. Knott's Berry Farm , which closed early Tuesday because of the rain, was open for business Wednesday. Disneyland was operating on a regular schedule Wednesday, but Disney California Adventure planned to close an hour early (at 9 p.m.)

The painted stork that flew away from the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park is still on the loose despite dozens of suspected sightings, zoo officials said Thursday. About 100 calls and emails -- including one from Phoenix -- have been received, but most of them have been for a great blue heron and a snowy egret, officials said. The bird flew away Monday during a training exercise. A warm wind is thought to have lifted the bird outside the park grounds. The year-old stork, a species native to Asia, is full grown at nearly 3 feet tall and with a wing span of nearly 5 feet.

SAN DIEGO -- Good news from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park: the 8-day-old gorilla that had been struggling with pneumonia is now stable and "showing great improvement," officials said. "She's developing normally and very rapidly," said Nadine Lamberski, associate director of veterinary services at the park. The baby, as yet unnamed, was born through a rare Caesarian section after its mother experienced distress during labor. Later, the baby underwent emergency surgery for a collapsed lung and was treated for pneumonia.

SAN DIEGO -- Imani, who is 18 and had never given birth before, was in labor and in distress. The survival of the baby seemed to be in doubt. So a team of veterinarian staff from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and (human) neonatal specialists from UC San Diego Medical Center decided to perform a Cesarean section -- a rare procedure for a gorilla. "In retrospect, the C-section was the right decision," said Nadine Lamberski, associate director of veterinary services at the park.

SAN DIEGO -- With her first two litters at the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park, the lion Oshana was a good mother. But with her twins born Dec. 6, Oshana seems to lost her mojo for maternity. Enter the keepers at the park's animal care center. The cubs are now at the center, getting bottles of kitten-starter formula every two hours. The female cub now weighs 3.5 pounds, the male 5.5 pounds. She's feistier than he is. Each sleeps about 20 hours a day, just like adult lions. For the time being, the lion cubs, the first born at the park since 2007, will remain at the care center, viewable by visitors from 10 a.m. to noon.

The first of 10 theme parks planned for a 2,000-acre resort billed as the "Orlando of China" is expected to open in late 2013 after three years of construction. The $2-billion marine-based Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park on Hengqin Island in China is to be connected by bridge to Macau and by ferry to Hong Kong. Chimelong Group already operates a resort about 75 miles northwest of Hong Kong, in Guangzhou, that includes the Chimelong Paradise theme park as well as a safari park, water park, crocodile farm and hotels.

The painted stork that flew away from the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park is still on the loose despite dozens of suspected sightings, zoo officials said Thursday. About 100 calls and emails -- including one from Phoenix -- have been received, but most of them have been for a great blue heron and a snowy egret, officials said. The bird flew away Monday during a training exercise. A warm wind is thought to have lifted the bird outside the park grounds. The year-old stork, a species native to Asia, is full grown at nearly 3 feet tall and with a wing span of nearly 5 feet.

San Diego Zoo animal keepers are searching for a rare painted stork that flew away from the zoo's Safari Park on Monday. The year-old bird, from a species native to Asia, was out flying Monday and instead of returning, it flew away, maybe carried away by a thermal wind, officials said. The bird is full grown but still inexperienced at flying. The stork was in training to be part of a free flight bird program at the park. Birders and wildlife officials have been alerted to be on the lookout.

SAN DIEGO -- With her first two litters at the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park, the lion Oshana was a good mother. But with her twins born Dec. 6, Oshana seems to lost her mojo for maternity. Enter the keepers at the park's animal care center. The cubs are now at the center, getting bottles of kitten-starter formula every two hours. The female cub now weighs 3.5 pounds, the male 5.5 pounds. She's feistier than he is. Each sleeps about 20 hours a day, just like adult lions. For the time being, the lion cubs, the first born at the park since 2007, will remain at the care center, viewable by visitors from 10 a.m. to noon.

The first of 10 theme parks planned for a 2,000-acre resort billed as the "Orlando of China" is expected to open in late 2013 after three years of construction. The $2-billion marine-based Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park on Hengqin Island in China is to be connected by bridge to Macau and by ferry to Hong Kong. Chimelong Group already operates a resort about 75 miles northwest of Hong Kong, in Guangzhou, that includes the Chimelong Paradise theme park as well as a safari park, water park, crocodile farm and hotels.

It's good to be a kid this month at the San Diego Zoo and the zoo's Safari Park. Children skip the $32 entrance fee at both venues and can take advantage of free activities inside, such as mingling with zoo characters, feeding a giraffe or taking in a Camp Critters Show. The deal: The zoo has been offering Kids Free in October for more than 25 years, for children 11 and younger. No need to show a ticket (usually $32), and there's no limit on the number of children you can bring, though they must be accompanied by an adult ($42)